gardiner



c. GARDINER.

Sleigh. Patented Nov. 12, 1867.

Inventon Witnesses: 'W/W- AILPHOTIPLITHO. 60, N.\'. (OSBORRES PROCESS.)

:1: fat g t-mt @ffirp G. GARDINER, OF ES PERANC'E, NEW YORK. LettersPatent No. 70,827, dated November 12, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN SLEIGH-BRAKE.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, G. G'\RDINER, of Esperance, Schoharie county, NewYork, have invented a. new and improved Self-Acting Sleigh-Brake; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the. art tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a self-actingsleigh-brake, and-consists of across-bar carrying two bent levers, one

on each side of the sleigh. Hinged in each lever is a pawl,'whichcatches on the ice or snow when the cross-bar is forced back. The bar isoperated by means of connecting-rod secured to and sliding on the tongueor pole,

and fastened to the neck-yoke pin, or attached in some other suitablemanner.

Theaecompanying drawing is a perspective view of a sleigh with my.improved bralie attached.

AA are the frame of the sleigh B, the runner; D. a cross-bar, havingattached fioit at each'end the bent levers E, pivoted at e, in the shoesF. A connecting-rod, G, fastened to the cross-bar D, embraces thefore-bur A and tongue A", at G, the pin passing through the slot in thetongue A", and bolting together the upper and lower arms of theconnecting-rod C. The lower arm is continued under the tongue to theneck-yoke, to which it is attached by thedo'op a. In descending a hillthe sleigh crowds forward, thereby forcing back the neck-yoke attachedto the connecting-rod at c; this in turn forces back the cross-bar D,carrying the levers E, and pressing the pawls-Ginto the ice or snow. Thepawls being hinged upon the levers E, and wedge-shaped, 'ofl'er noresistance in backing the sleigh. The brake can be applied to asingle-horse sleigh by leading the connectingrod to the shaft in placeof to the tongue or pole. It might also, but less conveniently, be leddirectly to the harness. v 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claini as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The pawls Gr, their upper ends wedged-shaped, and pivoted in thecorresponding wedge-shaped mortise in the bent lever E, whereby the pawlis permitted to yield to the backward movement of the sleigh, allarranged and constructed as herein set forth for the purpose specified.I

2 ,The connecting-rod e, embracing the bar A{ and the tongue A",connected by the pin working in the slot in the tongue, its lower partextending to the neck-yoke, all constructed and arranged as described,in such a manner that the length of the stroke of the pawl G shall begoverned by the length of the slot in the tongue, as herein set forthfor the purpose specified.

p C. GARDINER.

Witnesses: v

A. H. ISHAM, J. J. Gunman.

